God's Perfect Plans Prevail

I have always been a planner. Since I was in middle school, I knew what college I wanted to go to, what my degree would be, the type of job I would have, and even the car I would drive. While a 2015 Subaru Forester was not what I expected to end up with, I did follow the path of graduating from Grove City College with a degree in Computer Science and joining the Pittsburgh Fellows program. 

As my time at Grove City was ending, I had a couple of concerns pertaining to my future. First, I had a job lined up for my Fellow’s placement which ended up falling through. Second, I made amazing friends and community in college, but I was not entirely sure what my community was going to look like after college. There were a few areas in my life that I wanted to have control over, but the Lord made it clear that He had something greater in store for me. 

After being accepted to Pittsburgh Fellows, our Director, Julie McCormick, reached out to me and asked if I had ever heard of a company called Gloo AI. I had not, so I immediately whipped out my laptop and started researching them. In a time of rapid AI growth and a lack of regulation, I was ecstatic that there was a company seeking to make a faith-based, values aligned AI. I started at Gloo AI shortly after I graduated and immediately fell in love with the company. I have been given a strong work experience and unique opportunities, including going to a hackathon in Boulder. So far, that was one question about my future that God answered.

The Fellows’ first retreat in August facilitated the entire group growing close and bonding extremely well. Our cohort is one where we can laugh together, be goofy, and yet also share another’s burdens and pray together. There is seldom an instance where I am lonely, as people are almost always doing something fun. Most importantly, this is a group where love for Christ is evident. That was another question about my future that God answered.

God has shown me these past few months just how much He has provided for my every need in ways I did not entirely expect, especially through involvement in the Pittsburgh Fellows. Though I may want to control my life and have things go my way, He is sovereign and His ways are perfect. 

-Written by Jackson Southern, Class of 2026

Jackson went to Grove City College and works at Gloo AI as a Pittsburgh Fellow.